Volume 1 Issue 1
Page 2

January 1996

EDITORIAL

"This is your invitation..."

Pastor E. C. Case

Most of us have seen those words inscribed on envelopes, cards, or letters which have arrived at our mailboxes.

Within the scope of recent memory, we have been invited to join the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, and various political organizations. Invitations have been received from insurance companies, book clubs, record clubs and clothing stores. We have been invited to high school graduations, college graduations, engagement announcement parties and weddings. To receive such invitations, all one need do is be the member of certain organizations, or have one's name on the mailing lists of certain periodicals, or know people whose children are graduating or getting married. Invitations are offered to be accepted or declined. Voluntarism is written all over them. In some cases the favor of a reply is requested; and, in some, though not all of those cases, good manners require that such reply be made, whether the invitation is accepted or declined.

There are certain activities, however, to which invitations are inappropriate and, therefore, not made. Back in the days when the military draft was in effect, the "greetings" from the draft board was not in the form of an invitation. Civil and criminal courts do not issue invitations, they send out summonses.

In the last few days, we (and, no doubt, many of you) have received an "invitation to attend the 24th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America." This invitation came in a packet of registration materials sent out under cover of a letter from the Stated Clerk of the Assembly.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church is not, of course, a civil or criminal court, and it does not function like a draft board. But neither is it the National Geographic Society or a book club (we started to say insurance company and then, alas, remembered IAR), and its meetings are not social functions requiring "top hat, white tie, and tails." Our Book of Church Order says that it is "a permanent court," which is to meet "at least annually," and that it consists "of all Teaching Elders in good standing with their Presbyteries, and Ruling Elders in the ratio of one from each congregation for each 500 members or fraction thereof, but not to exceed five Ruling Elder commissioners from any one congregation" (14-2 in the version of the BCO that we have before us, which, being more than 24 hours old may not be current). The BCO says nothing about "invitations" being issued to attend the Assembly. The constituent membership of the Assembly is but a broader version of Presbytery. Our Book of Church Order recognizes all the courts of the Church as "one in nature, constituted of the same elements, possessed inherently of the same kinds of rights and powers" (11-3). They are, in fact, all Presbyteries (BCO 10-1).

When the Session of a Church meets, the clerk does not send out invitations. When the Presbytery assembles, it is not because invitations have been issued. Those who are members of these courts understand this. Assuming that the requirements of "good standing" are met, sitting in a court of the Church is a right possessed by those who are, by definition, members of that court. Moreover, they realize, or should realize, that attendance upon the meetings of these courts is an obligation. Though the practice is not always closely adhered to, it is generally recognized by those who are members of these courts that they ought to ask to be excused if they are unable to meet their obligation to attend meetings. If a member persists in absenting himself from such meetings without excuse, the point is eventually reached where some action should be taken to inquire into and rectify the situation.

Since the General Assembly of the PCA has always operated as a "grass roots" organization, there are some logistical problems faced b\ the Assembly that are not encountered at the level of the Session or the Presbytery. The potential size of the body, the expenses involved in sending commissioners, and the distances which must be traveled are all factors which have contributed to something less than a strict view of responsibility for attendance upon the meetings of the Assembly. Nevertheless, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church is not, and should not be thought of as in any way analogous to, the meeting of the annual convention of the Southern Baptist Churches.

Now it may be that some would consider that we are reading too much into the language of the Stated Clerk's letter. It may be nothing more than a reflection of the fact that the Clerk is a polite man. Certainly, we have always found him to be such. His choice of terms, though unfortunate, may be nothing more than a reflection of this.

Whatever the Clerk's intention may have been in using the language of "invitation," however, we are concerned that this, along with cost and distance (which virtually insure that ruling and teaching elders from smaller congregations are not going to be able to attend), gives the impression that full participation by all those who have the right and obligation to sit in the courts of the Church is neither encouraged nor desired. (Of course, they still want that ever-increasing registration fee.) Add to this the fact that the time actually allotted for the conduct of business makes it impossible to debate issues before the Assembly in any meaningful way, and what you have is a view of the broadest of our Church courts which is quite at odds with the historic understanding of the Presbyterian Churches.

There is a good deal more that needs to be said about this subject -- more than we have room to address in this forum. But one of the things we, as Concerned Presbyterians, need to understand and act upon is that no one has the prerogative of inviting the constituent members of the courts of the Church to participate in the meetings of those courts.